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Camilo Doval 2023 Player Outlook: On The Verge Of Being One Of The Best Closer Options
2 years agoCamilo Doval was on his way to having a solid 2022 as the Giants closer with a first-half line of 39.2 IP, 3-5 W-L record, 2.95 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 12 saves and 49 Ks. Then in July, Doval unleashed a sinker, a pitch he had never thrown before. Not only did he throw the sinker, but he also threw it more than any other pitch with a 57% usage over the remainder of the season. Doval's second-half line was even better with a 3-1 W-L record, 1.93 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 15 saves and 31 Ks (28.0 IP). The sinker led to Doval's groundball rate (GB%) jumping from 48.5% in the first half to 67.6% in the second half. What you will also have noticed is the drop-in strikeouts, from a 29.0% K% in the first half to a 26.5% K% in the second half. Doval's one flaw is too many walks, as his 10.5% BB% was the fifth-highest among the 17 pitchers with at least 20 saves. The free passes won't hurt Doval providing he can maintain that high GB% and decent K%, although not allowing a home run in the second half won't sustain throughout 2023. He's got all the pieces to put together a very productive season and outperform his ADP of ~77 (number 12 relief pitcher).
